Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
यस्तु चोरयते तैलं नरो मोहसमन्वित: । सो<पि राजन् मृतो जन्तुस्तैलपायी प्रजायते
yastu corayate tailaṃ naro mohasamanvitaḥ | so 'pi rājan mṛto jantus tailapāyī prajāyate ||
玉提希提罗说道:“大王啊!那被痴迷(moha)所缠而盗取油脂之人,死后将再生为名为‘泰拉帕伊’(tailapāyī)的生灵——一种饮油之虫。由此可知,即便看似细微的盗取,也会招致沉重的业报。”
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse teaches that theft—even of common household items like oil—arising from moha (delusion) leads to serious karmic results, expressed here as a degrading rebirth. It reinforces the dharmic principle of non-stealing and accountability for seemingly minor wrongdoing.
Within the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma (especially gifts and conduct), Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the king and cites a specific example: a person who steals oil is said to be reborn as an ‘oil-drinking’ worm, illustrating the moral causality of actions.